PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC54 – UK Statement on Myanmar [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 September 2023.
Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on the human rights situation in Myanmar. Statement delivered by the UK.
Thank you, Mr Vice President
And thank you, High Commissioner for your report and sobering update.
We share your concern at the harrowing situation in Myanmar and condemn the military’s increasingly brutal tactics, including the targeting of civilians through airstrikes and the burning of homes.
The evidence of the scale of the military’s actions continues to mount, including the latest findings from the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. We continue to support the work of the Mechanism, which remains crucial to ensure accountability for these crimes.
The UK also remains committed to targeting the regime’s access to finance and arms, which facilitate the most egregious crimes. Since the coup, we have announced targeted sanctions on the military leadership and its access to revenue and equipment.
And collectively, we must focus on restoring humanitarian access, working through local organisations to deliver life-saving assistance.
High Commissioner,
As your report highlights, the Rohingya who remain in Rakhine State have been confined to IDP camps for over a decade. They continue to face systematic discrimination including the denial of citizenship and access to basic services. Any return of the Rohingya must be voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable.
What more can the international community do to ensure evidence of human rights abuses are being gathered and used for future accountability?
Thank you.
